The present invention relates generally to remote control units and, more particularly, an activity based remote control unit for controlling a plurality of controllable devices.
Remote control units, such as for televisions, have been available to consumers for many years. Commonly, these control units operate by generating an infrared (IR) beam of light with controlled parameters that can transfer a plurality of commands. For instance, the remote control unit (xe2x80x9cremote controlxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cremotexe2x80x9d) can be used to either power up/down the controllable device, raise or lower the volume of a receiver, change channels, as well as provide other commands suitable for the device being controlled.
As the number of electronic devices has increased in the home, for example, through the addition of video recording devices, cable television converters and stereophonic equipment, so too has the number of remote control units used to control all of the individual components. Each component is selfcontained in that it can be controlled independently, although it may well be connected to other components. As such, each manufacturer commonly provides a separate remote for each component. Therefore, it is common for the user to have many remotes, each remote being designed to control a particular component.
Recognizing that the proliferation of remote control units is a problem for many users, there has been much development in providing a universal remote control unit. Unfortunately, only limited success has been obtained. Commonly, the universal remote is quite large and includes a multitude of buttons arranged in some manner for each of the possible devices that it will control. Usually, the buttons are grouped according to component. For instance, those buttons used for controlling a video cassette recorder (VCR) are located on a first portion of the top panel, whereas buttons for a compact disk player or television are located on other portions of the top panel. Many users find such a large device to be overwhelming and complex to operate. In addition, the universal remote control is often incomplete in that it only has buttons to replace certain functions of the manufacture""s remote control. Thus, the user must keep both the universal remote control and the device specific remote handy to control the device.
Since a universal remote control is designed to work with many different components or controllable devices, it is often necessary to program the universal remote control to operate each of the user""s specific controllable devices. Typically, a universal remote control will store or otherwise be associated with a code set for each controllable device that it controls. A code set is a group of commands that operate a controllable device. The code sets commonly vary for each type and brand of controllable device. For example, the code set that controls a first brand of television is most likely different than a code set that controls a second brand of television. Furthermore, it is common for a manufacturer to have multiple code sets, which only complicates the setup process. In one mode of programming, the user is required to look in an instruction manual to identify the proper code set (from a large number of possible code sets) for each device to be. controlled. Perusing an instruction manual to identify the correct code set for many different types and brands of devices is time-consuming and interjects a high probability of error to the setup process.
In a second mode of programming, the universal remote control xe2x80x9clearnsxe2x80x9d which IR signal should be sent to control each aspect of the controllable device. Typically, the user is instructed to position the universal remote control to receive IR signals from the device manufacturer""s remote control. The user is then required to follow a tedious programming method in which the user presses buttons on the source remote and then on the universal remote, in an attempt to have the universal remote learn which IR signals need to be sent or transmitted for each function.
Although there also exist some high-end systems that use touch-sensitive panels and graphical displays to provide a universal remote control with programmed graphical icons that the user can operate, such systems are expensive and must be programmed by a professional installer.
Accordingly, there is a need for an inexpensive, easy to use, universal remote control that a user can operate without the need for a multitude of buttons for each device. In addition, the universal remote control should be easy to program.
A remote control for controlling a plurality of controllable devices includes a processor, a display screen coupled to the processor, and memory coupled to the processor. The memory includes a program module to solicit information from a user regarding operation of the plurality of controllable devices to perform an activity.
Another aspect of the present invention includes a computer-readable medium on which is stored a program module for operation of a remote control. The remote control controls a plurality of controllable devices and includes a processor coupled to a display screen. The program module comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, performs the steps comprising: soliciting information regarding operation of the plurality of controllable devices to perform an activity; and generating a screen displayable on the display screen for the activity, the screen including indicators for controlling at least one of the plurality of controllable devices.
Another aspect of the present invention is a remote control for controlling a controllable device. The remote control includes a processor and a display screen coupled to the processor. A transmitter is coupled to the processor to transmitter is coupled to the processor to transmit command signals to the controllable device. Buttons (soft and/or hard) are coupled to the processor for initiating selected command signals to be transmitted. A receiver is coupled to the processor to receive command signals from a source remote. The remote control further includes memory for storing a program module. The program module generates prompts on the display screen for a user to transmit selected command signals to the receiver. The program module also associates received command signals with the buttons for initiating selected command signals to be transmitted.
Another aspect of the present invention is a computer-readable medium on which is stored a program module for operation of a remote control having a processor, a display screen, a transmitter, buttons to initiate the transmitter and a receiver. The program module comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, perform the steps comprising: generating prompts on the display screen for a user to transmit selected command signals to the receiver; and associating received command signals with the buttons for initiating selected command signals to be transmitted.